Kervallion

The party meets Zorias and kill at least ten people

In a small nameless village Mark, Moosa, Rolan and Thia heard about local trouble with bandits and for the promise of payment traveled to the next likely target and laid an ambush. The ambush was successful and soon the party had the bandits tracked back to their camp inside a cave. With the bandits defeated the group noticed a suspicious platform which Rolan and Moosa where able to work their way up to and clear the way for the rest.

Inside the group found a pre-fall site, a large room walled with broken mirrors in arches. The group did however eventually find an intact mirror that pulled Thia through it when she touched it, rather than leave her lost and alone the party followed through to what turned out to be a similar room as the mirror shattered behind them.

in leaving what turned out to be a different cave in a different part of the country the group found some art thieves who where swiftly killed never knowing who had attacked them. Exiting the cave the party saw that they had come out near to Avissium, Kervallion’s capital where they returned the stolen paintings for a monetary reward.

The party are now living out of Mark’s small townhouse; it wasn’t set up for four occupants. Moosa invests in new furniture while Rolan attempted to purchase a chain shirt although at first he faced difficulty and assumed it is because of discrimination against his race.

Thia discovers Zorias’s store but when she tries to bring the rest of the party there they are stopped by thugs upstanding members of the community, as Moosa began negotiating Mark and Rolan executed a simultaneous sneak attack and combat begun, and swiftly ended leaving the party dragging the bodies into Zorias’ store, Zorias for his part was not so pleased with that but seeing as they were his only customers it worked out and Thia was able to purchase a Freestanding stave.

now I have a barrel of pitch HO-HO-HO

In Avissium there were few sources of magical equipment. The grand Academy was in the walled Old District which was seemingly closed off, Thugs concerned citizens had kept people away from Zorias’ and Ennith’s smaller school had mysteriously closed off Mark, Moosa, Rolan and Thia decided to investigate.

Rolan interrogated the local rat population and discovered that some thugs visitors had gone in aggressively and a magical field had gone up and things could go in but nothing came out. The party, brave individuals that they were, went in. Inside they found some disheveled and desperate thugs survivors who had taken the mages hostage but a fight, and not the last of Moosa’s concussions, led to the party having a hostage of their own.

They tried to sneak around but Mark fell down some musically enchanted stairs. They were, however, able to lay an ambush with a barrel of pitch, when the foes came they brought a hostage but he was unfortunately killed so Thia ignited the pitch leading to a ranged fight through a smokey corridor. Meanwhile as Mark impressed their now two hostages with stories, he failed to notice the approach of their leader, Thad. With his diplomacy failed his swordsmanship held the line at least until Moosa unleashed the full force of his heavy crossbow on areas better left unmentioned.

With the foes defeated the hostages were rescued, including Ennith, who told the party of how when the attack came she activated an untested artifact before being captured causing the magical field. With the threat gone the field was removed and the party paid for their help, there was one attacker who was unaccounted for even after the clean up but what’s the worst that could happen?

The party show no respect for law enforcement

In the time since the fight at Ennith’s academy Thia had been studying in their library, Moosa was as well but he found himself studying some strange forgotten scroll. Mark traveled back to the village to collect their reward for killing the bandits and Rolan took to camping just outside of town. Thia received a warning from Zorias that someone was targeting the party, she took Rolan and Moosa to talk with Zorias but on the way they found some thugs bakers waiting for them.

Moosa provoked the individuals and between the three of them the fight was soon over. Moosa did however notice citizens watching in horror, particularly with Thia using magical fire and cursing in elvish. The bodies where brought inside and thoughZorias did not appreciate more bleeding and burnt corpses he was able to strike something of a deal, sponsoring the party with promised discounts in return for helping the business (and hopefully no more corpses).

Outside the group found guards asking around. Moosa, remembering how scarce guards seemed to be in Avissium, decided that these where more likely disguised agents of “Skinny” Pete he did however agree to accompany them “back to the nearest guard station”. As they traveled Thia sung warnings in elvish and the three of them prepared to attack. The attack came when they arrived at an unmarked building and Moosa slammed the door closed behind the first “guard” leaving the party outside as more foes begun arriving. The party fought well for a time but eventually the fight begun turning and Thia was severally injured by multiple crossbow bolts.

Salvation seemed to come as the attackers were themselves ambushed by a group of elves who firebombed the building and took the party away to a dark unknown room…

the party makes a nuisance of themselves

When Mark Valor returned to Avissium he didn’t find his usual companions where he expected them. He did find, of all things, a druid who he had previously encountered. The two visited Zorias who at the sight of a new potential customer was all too willing to do business. From him they heard tales of the group’s Firefight in the streets and elvish rescue. Zorias however, did not miss the opportunity to apply more sponsorship and sell a couple of potions.

intrepid adventurers Thia, Rolan and Moosa were being questioned by the Elven enforcer One Ear in elvish disregarding Moosa’s inability to speak it. That meeting swiftly concluded they met Vancill, apparently the leader of the elvish crime syndicate. It seemed he had been looking for an excuse to strike against Gamlan and the party’s capture proved an ample opportunity. Thia was given a token to show if ever they desperately needed help and informed that they would surely pay back the favour. Before they left Thia and Rolan took the opportunity to debate whether elves should integrate into human society or try to return to a more traditional forest life.

The whole party was finally able to meet up compare stories, stop briefly before splitting up again (albeit in different configurations) to purchase hammocks and visit Ennith, Moosa ran into Giles who told him that with mob pressures he couldn’t acquire the materials he needed. Meanwhile Mark told Ennith about how they where in something of a feud with “Skinny” Pete which did worry her so she gave him a small magical artifact that he could use to contact her in an emergency. On the way back both groups saw a group of thugs wellwishers at Mark’s house and some miscommunication led to further violence this time however Mark’s druid friend, Sariel, was able to turn into a lion to help things alongside the usual crossbows and fire. Moosa took what weapons where salvageable and the party moved on.

The party contemplated how to resolve their problems with “Skinny” Pete. Asking around with Smiths they found no local help but did find out about a way station materials moved through. They decided against going there, instead they resolved to attack the extortionist working in the markets. Willem was his name and he was soon kidnapped and taken back to Mark’s house and violently interrogated giving the party the location of his office, Mark hid away the merchant’s gold and the group set off. With Willem as a prop Mark was able to get the door open leading swiftly into another fight this time including Moosa being hit with maces, Sariel blocking the door in bear form and a bottle of alchemist’s fire going off inside. While Mark and Rolan tracked one of their fleeing foes back to an establishment called the Honourable fiend, Moosa and Thia where able to quickly get the safe open and collect as much as they could grab from inside.

The party had entered into a violent feud with the criminal “Skinny” Pete and aligned themselves with the potentially dangerous Vancill in a town with no guard presence. Things where going to get even more violent and bloody before they resolved.

The party spends the night in the deep woods

In the night after a local mob office burnt down while Thia Nailo was standing watch outside Mark Valor’s home an elf approached. He had come from their new “friend” Vancill and warned of an imminent attack from “Skinny” Pete, he advised that the group should flee, and flee they did. Taking what they could carry (which apparently included Mark’s strongbox and Moosa’s nice stool) the group travelled to “the deep woods” (ignoring Rolan’s advice to go to the literal deep woods) and found accommodations waiting for them with local families. Mark also found the time to return the money Willem had taken from the local merchants who warned him about traveling out in the open right now.

In the morning Thia gave some coin to their host and the group went to speak with Vancill. He asked about their raid on the mob office, how much they got (4976 gp), and if any of it could be donated to the “cause”. Mark was nervous because he remembered his considerable debt to Vancill ever since that thing, when he told the group they where none to pleased, arguing publicly about how much they had, how much they owed and who “owned” mark. In the end Moosa gave Vancill all the money they had grabbed from that office. Vancill offered them a place to stay and some advice, they should kill “Skinny” Pete.

The party begun to plan a trap for Pete and/or his guards, Mark went home and provoked what turned out to be eight foes, he then fled to a chosen alleyway while Moosa covered him, in the alleyway the thugs victims were met with a web spell cast to block the exit. One Ear and his chosen with Rolan, the druid Sariel and Mark was able to escape with a pre-prepared rope set up. Between Thia raining down spells, One Ear, Rolan and Moosa arriving with to many crossbows and Sariel in a bear form the ambush was highly successful with little injury on the party’s side.
“Skinny” Pete was not among he slain but most of his guards were, the party resolved to go to him and kill him, with the knowledge that this would likely provoke Gamlan

Avissium erupts into violence

After The temporary transfer of a house in Avissium. The usual group returned to Mark Valor’s house to supply and regroup the plan was to go to “Skinny” Pete’s manor before he could reallocate his men, knowing this and what the likely consequences would be One Ear and most of the rest of Vancill’s men set off to strike against Gamlan. After a short rest the group did indeed go over to Pete’s manor Moosa’s initial attempts to sneak in failed but was then able to distract the front guard while posing as a rat catcher, everyone else was able to sneak forward. Pete was spotted arguing with his guards (who Mark knew as “Mike and Ike”) and was caught by surprise when Rolan and Thia suddenly appeared using the old tecnicues tought by Longwood Rolan pinned Pete to the ground with magical vines and roots and Thia killed him with a magical barrage the result was surprising and messy, Thia used this to intimidate the remaining guards into fleeing and keys where taken from an assistant.

The group set about searching the Manor debating whether they could keep the place. In Pete’s office as well as more evidence of Pete’s hatred for mark the group found some exceedingly valuable wine, around five thousand gold and some custom made arrows apparently made to seek Mark Valor the arrows were destroyed by Thia. Thia also took as much jewelry, wine, food and clothing as she could carry, Mark also grabbed a fancy presumably expensive vest. Eventually the group became aware of the violence and fire throughout the rest of the city as Vancills “Greenblood Alliance” attacked. Rolan and Sariel found a secret escape tunnel back to the street and the group took it. They made it back to Marks place after a small skirmish with some ThugsRioters pedestrians but they were not able to rest long before a large group was seen approaching and they hid in a nearby alleyway. Their apparent leader one Eras Nale apparently worked for Gamlen and called out the group threatening to burn down Mark’s house. Unwilling to see that happen Mark and Rolan took to the rooftops and taunted their foes leading to a dangerous chase across the rooftops with arrows flying behind while the rest of the group snuck off to the “deep woods”.

Mark and Rolan were successful for a time but eventually Mark fell unwilling to leave him behind Rolan went down to him and carried him away. Fortunately they had lost most of their pursuers and were able to successfully ambush those who remained. The fight however left Mark severally injured so the duo visited Zorias’s store which happened to be close enough. Though Zorias was tired having just been woken he was able to sell a health potion an a theatre/disguise mask to Mark (its probably legal). Mark selected a female elf mask and indeed found himself apparently transformed into a female elf and the two made it back to the “Deep woods”. In the morning when Marks mask had worn off he received a message from Ennith little could be made out but that she was in danger so the group went to the local academy. After another unfortunate incident with the enchanted stairs the group found Eras Nale with some thugs new students and an apparently unconscious Ennith. Mark who fairly or not had his name attached to much of what had happened in the last few weeks was offered a chance to surrender to Gamlen to save his friends and he was about to when Thia launched fire at Eras from her hiding place unfortunately he was able to pull up Ennith to block some of it and set off something causing a large field of mist to conceal him and his allies, Thia responded with web and fire. Eras fled with Ennith, Moosa and Rolan jumped awkdly down after him, Mark followed by sliding down a stair railing, Thia and Sariel remained to fight the remaining foes.

Eventually Mark, Moosa and Rolan caught up to Eras who had a blade to Enniths throat. In a somewhat desperate measure Moosa threw his rapier and was actually successful in hitting Eras and knocking him away from Ennith, Rolan got an arrow off but Eras survived and recovered his greataxe. In a somewhat desperate measure of his own Mark charged and was somehow able to slip his rapier past Eras’s guard killing him while declaring that “discretion is the better part of Valor” Eras did not have long to enjoy the wordplay for he soon died.

“Skinny” Pete was dead, Eras was dead and Ennith was alive but it was clear that Gamlen would respond and the violence would continue until Gamlen or Vancill was dead Mark, Thia, Rolan, Moosa and Sariel were caught very much in the middle of this conflict…

Marks house was sacrificed for the greater good

Having saved Ennith and caused The sad end of skinny Pete the party was met by men who filled them in on Gamlan’s counterattack, Ennith’s students were captured and in immediate danger but at the same time men were going to burn Mark’s house down, given the choice they went to rescue the students. The group went to a warehouse some of them had briefly almost visitedRolan and Moosa tried to boost Mark up to the second story unsuccessfully, Sariel however was able to transform into a giant spider and easily climb up and throw a rope down, Mark however was still unable to get up. Making the most of the situation Mark successfully bluffed his way in the front door. Rolan’s stealth failed but the subsequent fight went well (Sariel had a fire sword) and the students were rescued unfortunately in that time Mark’s house was lost.

The group returned to Enniths to rest, Mark noticed how hard the recent attacks had hit Ennith and tried to comfort her with some limited success. After their rest Vancill turned up apparently Gamlen had attacked “the deep woods” while they slept it was damaging but they were fought off also the thugs property investors responsible for the destruction of Marks house were dealt with. The group were however invited to a final attack against Gamlen, Ennith wanted Vancill and his men gone and closed the magical field behind the party as they left. Before the attack however Moosa had the money from “Skinny” Pete’s vault and a plan.

At Zorias’s Moosa asked to open a line of credit with four thousand of the gold and the party began shopping. Multiple fresh potions were purchased, Moosa bought a portable hole for the group, Rolan inquired about fire scimitars but found them to expensive for now, Mark picked up a immovable rod climbing kit and Sariel was able to acquire a old elven talisman containing druidic knowledge. Finally Zorias hit them with his own personal prestidigitation cleaning them and their clothing applying a light scent and reasserting his mark on their armour with this they were ready to go off and face Gamlen…

The party ends gang violence

Still recovering from The fall of the house of Valor and the attack on Ennith’s academy the party were all to willing to join Vancill in going after Gamlan. After a brief stop off to “the deep woods” to collect what they had left there. With Vancill, One Ear and some of Vancill’s men the party marched to Gamlen’s estate. While their allies attacked the front door Mark and Rolan tried to scale the building while Moosa, Thia and Sariel found a trapped basement entrance in the back. Mark had some difficulty using his new climbing kit and ended up on the ground dodging as Rolan threw crossbowmen out a window down at him. Soon enough all were inside and many foes were dead and the group made its way up to Gamlen’s office where they were faced with the age old problem of how to safely open a foes door, in the end Moosa opened it while Mark was trying his thieves tools leaving Mark in the doorway when Gamlen attacked. In the fight that followed Gamlen fled form his office to a hallway to his bedroom and the party followed killing many a thug retainer on the way. Rolan was injured and Sariel’s bear form was temporary defeated but soon Gamlen found himself burned and terribly clawed in a burning room before mark who had again climbed the outside of the building stabbed him with his rapier from behind and pulled him out the window down four floors.

Thia hung around in the smoke and flame long enough to quickly loot one of Gamlens safes before the group climbed out a window and down to meet up with Vancill and what remained of his group they watched as a small army of Gamles’s men all of them ready to take over, until the absent Avissium guard horse suddenly arrived and begun cutting down Gamlen’s men. Vancill took the opportunity to take his men and leave asking the group to stay behind and deal with this new situation, of the party only Mark and Moosa stayed to see The Lord Martial of Kervallion arrive and introduce himself. Vigo said that he was a fan and invited the pair back to his office to talk and so they went…

The party find new accommodations

Having just had The last word on crime in AvissiumMark Valor and Moosa had a meeting with the Martial of Kervallion Vigo who explained his understanding of the situation and congratulated on causing enough trouble that Vigo was allowed to move the guard outside the Imperial district. Thia, Rolan and Sariel were collected by guardsmen from their celebration with Vancill and joined the rest of the group plus Vigo at “the Golden Opportunity” were they enjoyed probably the best meal they had ever had. Vigo offered them employment and a new house both offers they accepted and found themselves in possession of a four storey building in the Imperial district.

The party were later tasked by Vigo to escort a group of guardsmen through the worse parts of Avissium where they fought of some thugs cobblers from what was Gamlan’s organisation, the party made a point of keeping the guards away from anything implication in the “Deep woods”. later they were tasked with contacting the leader of the elvish crime group and negotiating an arrangement between them and Vigo, attempting to disguise their knowledge and involvement with the crime group the party agreed and took some time in contacting Vancill and negotiating on Vigo’s behalf. Vancill was sceptical of the deal but agread on the condition that when what he saw as an inevitable conflict arose the party would be on his side they agreed, Rolan especially so.

In the time that they were apparently tracking down the elvish crime leader the party took to other tasks, Moosa contacted Giles and sent him off to a waystation involved with the transport of raw materials necessary to his business with instructions to arrange a new understanding, he also hired some apprentices and set them to cleaning Giles’s home and workshop. Thia visited Ennith to learn some new spells (and encorage her to visit Zorias), Mark eventually came around to help her recover from the attacks on her home. The party also found the time to visit Zorias who was all to happy that they had sent Ennith his way, this time Mark bought a couple of health potions and Rolan purchased some scabbards that could shape to fit his swords.

The party now had access to the Imperial district most of the party were living in their new house all except Rolan who was sleeping in a local park in a tree having come to some arrangement with the caretaker Boothby. Mark and Thia visited the church of Kervallion, Mark taking the opportunity to leave an offering to Elgara. It was also in the Imperial district that a stranger slipped Mark a note warning him not to trust Vigo. The party didn’t spent all their time in the Imperial district though they made regular trips to “The Deep Woods” to associate with the peoplethere it was on their way back from such a trip that cloaked assassins attacked them with poisoned blades the party however won the fight and found a note on the bodies with their descriptions…

The party plays host

spending their time living The high life in the Imperial district the party had been attacked in the streets by poison wielding assassins on their way home, surviving the encounter they took a rest before meeting with Vigo in the morning. Vigo explained that the attack was probably aimed to deny him the party as a resource and suggested that Varlan was likely responsible he did not however ask the party to act as assassins themselves as Moosa expected instead they were tasked with protecting a noblewoman likely to be assassinated, a task they accepted. Vigo had told the party that in the Imperial district since King Richard had fallen ill and Renwick took charge assassination seemed a common occurrence as people and factions vied for power and influence one set of assassins had come after the party but if they continued to grow in power and remained visible there may yet be more.

The noblewoman in question turned out to be a Joanna Zahn a 19 year old heiress to a once powerful family whose previous bodyguard had suffered a fatal “accident”. They took her back to their new house without the family’s servants and Thia offered her room. Most of the party more or less welcomed their new guest, Rolan however kept his distance and was rude when around Joanna apparently brought up bad memories he did do his part patrolling for foes. The next morning Mark discovered that one of his new daggers had gone missing eventually finding Joanna had taken it, this led to Moosa and Thia spending the day training her with daggers and crossbows while the rest of the group went out for some investigating. Joanna’s father had died the previous year leaving her the heir to the family since then she had been locked away. Rolan questioned the park groundskeeper Boothby about who would gain from her death and was told that the most likely outcome was another family would take over if the Zahn family fully fell. Mark and Sariel tried to gain some background detail on Vigo and while they didn’t get much they did begin forming a theory that he planned to marry the girl for her inheritance.

While this was going on it was Moosa’s job to watch Joanna so he wasn’t happy to see that she had apparently fled out a window he tracked her as far as the markets before meeting up with Mark and Sariel and the druid was able to track the girl as a wolf. the group found her to “the trustworthy thief” a tavern in the lower parts of the city where she was participating in a back room card game which the trio joined in. There are few occasions where the party visit places such as this that f a fight does not break out and this was no exception and so soon Moosa and bear form Sareil were fighting thugs gamblers in a crowded back room while Mark dragged Joanne outside to meet up with Thia and Rolan and soon after Vancill’s elves needless to say they won. back home there was an awkward encounter as the party disagreed about how to deal with Joanne, they did agree to let Rolan place an alarm enchantment around her room.

The next day the party took Joanne of a tour of the city visiting some of their trusted allies finding many of them better off than they had last met as Ennith was recovering, Giles’s business was coming along and Zorias had apparently sold twenty standing staves to Vigo. Things were beginning to look up slightly Thia’s opinion with Joanne had greatly deteriorated but she wanted the job done she wanted the money and influence to join the Grand Academy and maybe find some information on Liyanana. The party had kept the girl safe for now but there were sure to be assassins eventually so they would have to be ready…